The duel
by Justsomesquidiot
Summary: Two rivals are finally pushed over the edge, and challenge each other to a duel. But what lead them here? They reflect on that question before they shoot.


**Little one shot I figured I could do. This is in the slice of life universe, somewhere during the prequel. I'll get back to writing the actual thing now.**

"Everyone clear on the rules of dueling?"

He nodded. He had done this before, twice. He wouldn't fail this time. ESPECIALLY not this time.

His enemy. Her. His mind reeled just thinking of her. He had been preparing for this moment for so long now, a few months or so.

She hated him about as much as he hated her. Their hatred for each other forced their actions against each other, which lead to the duel they both knew was coming.

"Seconds, discuss."

His second shook his hand and left his side.

Her second nodded at her and left her side.

He stared into his opponent's eyes. The shade of yellow always burned through him, as if it was taunting his every move.

She returned his glare, staring into his purple eyes. A somewhat rarer color, she was always slightly jealous of it.

They had known each other for over five years, and in those five years they battled on every front possible.

He had his eyes on a nice girl, she convinced the girl he was an abusive lover.

She tried to get a part in a local play, he got one of his friends to steal it from her.

All small things. But too many small things can make anyone resentful.

"Take your ten paces!"

He always wondered why she hated him so much. Before they met he considered her a nice looking girl, but she always seemed too occupied to notice him.

She always wondered why he had never made a move on her. She had seen the looks he gave her when he was around, he had clearly been interested. She had thought she gave him enough signs she was waiting for him.

He remembered the first time they had crossed paths. It was not a pleasant meeting. They had gotten into an argument about music and she had stormed off. He didn't think anything of it at the time, but she later came back and "accidentally" tripped him on his way to the tower.

She remembered that argument. They didn't agree on the best genre, and she had stormed off to keep herself from getting too mad. But she knew then and there that she needed him. If only she had actually thought about what tripping him playfully would do.

They were both blind, they couldn't see the other's perspective and their rivalry spirled out of control. Now here they were, ready to shoot one another over petty disputes.

"The duel will commence after I count to ten!"

Did they hate each other? Maybe. But they needed each other. The constant back and forth between them had actually helped them in their personal lives.

He had become more outgoing, and had earned a job at the news station because of it.

She had time with coaches and improved both her singing voice and her acting, and had begun to get a steady streak of named roles in plays around the city.

"One!"

He tried not to think about the fact he could actually die from this. Instead he thought about how amazing it would be to finally be rid of her and her obnoxious bragging. He had seen a few of her preformances, and they were pretty good, but she acted like she was the best on the stage.

She remembered the look he gave her after she said she was the best on the stage. It hurt her. It was as if he had wanted her to never preform again. But she pressed on, she was determined to win his affections, despite how poorly she had made their relationship already.

They both wrote letters to each other before the duel. He detailed every reason why she should apologize for her actions, and she did the same. Neither of them could understand why the other had begun doing these things, it seemed completely illogical. But their intransigent nature caused him to impulsively challenge her to a duel before he was ready.

He needed her gone.

She needed him by her side.

"Two!"

He remembered when she had gotten a boyfriend. His jealously spiked so hard he had challenged him to a duel without her knowledge. He had won, and her boyfriend had left her. She wouldn't talk to anyone for weeks. He had felt lonely during that period, but he still felt proud of his win.

She remembered her boyfriend. He seemed nice enough, but she knew where her true feelings laid. When he had left her, she had been so confused she started digging around, and she found evidence of the duel he had been in. She wondered who could've dueled him, he was a nice guy! But she couldn't find out who it was.

They seemed to be in each other's way more often than not, but they honestly both liked it that way. She loved having him around, she wanted to always be around him. He loved beating her at her own game, showing her who was better.

"Three!"

He'd be lying if he said he didn't admire her. Her beauty grew with her age, and he could just look at her for a while if given the chance. But he knew she hated him, so he always kept his fantasies to himself.

She thought about him every day, she suspected he did the same, but for a different reason. She needed him to see her, to see she was perfect for him. It hurt her so much that he saw her as an enemy or a rival more than anything else.

They both checked their pistols, imagining the victory they would soon achieve. He was blinded by rage, and she was blinded by love. She thought, if she shot him, injured him, he would admit defeat and finally see her as what she wanted him to see.

"Four!"

He remembered their fight, their friends had edged them on, and they had fought. He had given her a black eye, the only noticable injury from the fight. He had felt guilty. The glares he had received made sure to that. He had sent her some flowers to apologize. The smile she gave him the next day warmed his heart.

She hadn't wanted to fight him. Seeing his reactions made her think he felt the same way, but their friends were ruthless sometimes. She got a few hits in, but he really got her with that punch to her eye. She went home and moped, and that's when the flowers showed up. She still has those flowers, in a vase in her house.

They had cooled their hatred for each other after that. They even had some friendly talks. It was a shame when, of course, one of their friends had edged them on again. Soon enough, they were back at each other's throats.

"Five!"

He thought about what had happened at the bar. Both of their birthdays are around the same time, and they had both turned 18, so they both went out to drink on the same day to celebrate. They both found each other there, already decently drunk. He regretted that night, even though he didn't remember most of it.

She thought about the night at the bar. She wished that night could've been something more, that something could've changed, but he clearly regretted it. He couldn't even handle being too close to her anymore. She remembered the night perfectly, they had left before the drinks took too much of an effect on her. She had walked him home, before coming in herself. She didn't come out until the next morning.

They both acknowledged what had happened, but he refused to bring it up again, no matter how hard she tried to tell him she didn't regret what happened. She gave up after a month of trying to convince him she had enjoyed it. He held that regret with him as they went back to their usual back and forth, while she had the regret of leaving instead of talking about it with him.

"Six!"

His mind blanks as the weight of what he's doing crashes onto him. One of them could actually die from this. He doesn't want to kill her! That's ridiculous, he cares about her! Sure, they were rivals, but he doesn't want to KILL her!

Her mind clears as she plans her next move. Turn, shoot, hit him in the leg, win him over. No death needed. But what if he shoots? What if he hates her so much he shoots to kill?

"Seven!"

He almost sees the last time they were happy together in front of him. They walk through the plaza, laughing about some stupid joke he had told. Just four days later, she would send him the first letter which resulted in the duel.

She's aware enough to know she's obsessed with him. But how could she not be? Tall, well built, funny, determined, that damn eye color! It was like he was built specifically to appeal to her! She couldn't let this opportunity slip through her fingers, she needed to have him!

"Eight!"

He feels himself start crying. Soft enough to not alert the counter, but still crying none the less. He doesn't even understand why. He just wants things to go back to when they were happy together.

She hears a short breath and glances behind her for a second. He's crying. Why is he crying? Does he think she's going to kill him? She looks down at her pistol. Maybe her plan isn't a good idea after all.

"Nine!"

They almost feel connected. For just a moment. Enough to feel a small exchange of words.

"I love you."

"So do I."

"Ten!"

A gunshot sounds off, followed quickly by another.

He stumbles backwards, collapsing onto the ground.

She screams, and tries to run torward him, but is held back by her second.

He had fired his shot into the ground.

She had shot him in the chest.

"We need to go, now."

"NO! I NEED TO SEE HIM!"

Her second drags her off anyway, despite her kicking and screaming.

He feels faint. She had shot him. But, he doesn't feel angry. This feels correct. Maybe this was how it was always supposed to happen.

Then he closes his eyes.

A year later, she visits a cemetery. Carefully making her way through it, she arrives at her destination.

His gravestone.

"Hey, Terry. It's me. Alicia. I know you probably hate me, but I wanted to give you something."

She holds out the vase she brought with her.

"You bought me these flowers a long time ago. I'm kinda glad you bought fake ones, otherwise I wouldn't be able to do this."

She sets the vase on his grave.

"I'm sorry. And I know that means nothing, but I really, truely am. For everything. I don't even understand why you shot at the ground... You shot first, I should be dead right now."

She sighs, and turns to walk away.

"I'll see you next year."


End file.
